Why You Should Bring Your Friends Cycling

Cycling is often considered to be more of a solo activity but there are many benefits to cycling with a friend or group. If you are a keen cyclist, you can encourage friends to take up cycling as a new hobby, or you can co-ordinate rides with someone who already enjoys cycling.

These are some of the reasons you should consider cycling with a buddy or group:

Motivate each other

When you do any type of exercise with a buddy you can help to motivate each other. You can push each other to do longer routes, get faster times or achieve new goals. By arranging a date and time, you are less likely to decide to cancel your ride, which can be tempting in the colder and wetter months!

It is safer

Cycling with company is much safer than going alone and if you have an accident or feel ill, your cycling buddy will be there to help or to contact emergency services if necessary. Cycling in a group can also be safer as the group is more visible and drivers will usually give more space to a group compared to how much room they leave individual cyclists when overtaking.

Discover new routes

Cycling with a buddy or a group can help you to find new routes that you didn’t know about. If you are going out riding with experienced cyclists, they will probably have some favourite routes that they be able to introduce you to.

More sociable

Going cycling with friends means you can have a chat when you are cycling at an easy pace or you can arrange a stop at a café or pub for a rest and to refuel with some food, or warm up with a hot drink. If you join a group, then you can make new friends who share your passion for cycling. It can also be useful to have friends with you if you get a puncture, as they can help you to change your tyre much faster!

Finding the right cycling partner

When you are considering pairing up with a cycling buddy, you should think about what you are looking for in a cycling partner. One of the important factors is to choose someone who is at a similar fitness level, so you can cycle routes that are challenging but comfortable for both of you. You should also match up with someone who wants to do similar types of rides, as some people prefer road cycling, while others like to go on more scenic off-road rides.

Another factor to consider is making sure that you have common goals. For example, if you want to train towards competing in an event then your partner should have a similar goal. If you are just looking to go on some casual rides that are just for fun and a moderate level of exercise, then pick a cycling buddy who is happy with that approach.

How to find a cycling buddy

If you do not already know someone who would make a good cycling buddy, there are plenty of ways to find one. You could join a local cycling group through organisations such as Cycling UK or British Cycling. You might be able to find someone to cycle with through your own social network by posting a message on your social media, or there might be a local Facebook group that you can post on to find a cycling buddy or group.

Joining a group can help you to meet new people as well as discover new routes and benefit from the safety of cycling with others. You might also find a group who go on cycling holidays together, which can be great fun.

If you plan on going on cycle routes in different locations, a good quality cycle rack is an essential accessory. Whether you prefer a roof mounted, towbar mounted, or rear door mounted cycle carrier, PF Jones has a wide selection to use with most vehicles.